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Each week, WORDTheatre® shares a brilliant short story performed live in LA, NY or London by a great actor, usually with the author in the room to hear their story being brought to life. Like what you hear? Visit WORDTheatre.org/Membership/ or if you are near the UK, visit WORDTheatreUK.org to enjoy live events and recordings by becoming a Patron or Enthusiast Member! WORDTheatre® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the US and a Dual Charitable Trust in the UK. We are on a mission to make a better world one story at a time.
Greetings and welcome to WORDTheatre Weekly: The Short Story Podcast where great authors and actors meet! I’m your host, Cedering Fox, WORDTheatre’s Founder & Artistic Director.
This week, we’re bringing you one of the stellar performances from our most recent show, “Seasons of Yearning: Selections from Best British Short Stories 2011-2015”, which took place live in London.This week’s offering is titled “Helium” by David Bevan, and it was performed by Karl Johnson. We have a special treat, a little introduction by the author. But before we get started,
Please note that WORDTheatre holds the copyright to these recordings and no portion of anything you hear on WORDTheatre Weekly, our short story podcast, may be reproduced without permission.
Please welcome author David Bevan, whose story “Helium” is included in the 2025 edition of Best British Short Stories, edited by Nicholas Royle.
BEVAN GIVES HIS INTRODUCTION.
JOHNSON PERFORMS THE STORY.
You have just heard “Helium” by David Bevan, performed by Karl Johnson.
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Thank you to the LA Department of Arts & Culture, and Jane Oster Sinisi and Phiphen Studios for their ongoing support. Special thanks to our podcast editor Catherine Jarvis-Stores, and our entire crew at WORDTheatre, led by the wonderful Scout Riley. If you happen to be in New York on October 15th, we have a gorgeous show coming up with Peter Orner, Marisa Silver, Charles Baxter and Ben Shattuck. Four great authors will share the space with four great actors who will step into their words: Richard Schiff, Mary Beth Peil, Michael Shannon and Laila Robbins. For details and tickets, visit wordtheatre.org. Hope to see you soon, until next week, this is Cedering Fox, signing off!